South Korea makes Asian Games complaint over Japan warlord ceremony

Seoul's Olympic committee has lodged a complaint with Asian Games organizers in Nagoya for including a Japanese warlord in a welcoming ceremony. The event on Tuesday featured an individual dressed as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the leader of Japan's invasions of Korea from 1592 to 1598. This decision sparked a backlash in South Korea, as historical grievances between the two nations run deep.

Hideyoshi's invasion is a highly sensitive topic in Korean history, and Korea was subsequently under Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. The Japanese delegation comprised three warlord characters for the arrival of a cruise ship, which will serve as a floating hotel for thousands of Games athletes in Nagoya. Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), sent a letter to the local organizing committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, expressing regret and requesting measures to prevent similar incidents.

The organizers stated that the performance was not meant to praise specific historical figures or convey historical messages. They acknowledged that ceremonies and expressions can be interpreted differently and pledged to ensure their programs and content are suitable for an international competition, warmly welcoming athletes and officials from Asian countries and regions.

The strained relationship between Seoul and Tokyo has been a recurring issue, with Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula resulting in approximately 780,000 Koreans being forced into labor, a figure not including those subjected to sexual slavery by the Japanese military.